Power Pack 1 Public Beta Documentation
The Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 Public Beta Documentation has just been released due to the PP1 Public Beta starting any time now.
Within the documentation, which is available in .doc and .docx format as well as PDF. It details the features and enhancements which will be in the public beta as well as giving test scenarios for beta testers.
Naturally the (famous) data corruption bug KB946676 has been addressed as well as long file paths with more than 240 characters being supported on WHS shared folders. The Windows Home Server Console constantly reporting “Balancing Storage” has been addressed as well as numerous other fixes.
With this update, the performance of migration passes, and hard drive removal has been speeded up and file copy performance to and from the Windows Home Server shared folders has been improved among lots of other improvements.
Share this WHS Article with Others:
Yup. The docx format was first and as they were requested at WGS, they happened to appear on Connect. 😛
That, and shouldn’t it be infamous rather than famous?
Either way, really looking forward to the PP1 beta!
The Power Pack starts looking more and more like a Service Pack. Will PP1 be a “must have” upgrade or will people be able to get the bug fixes separately from PP1? (But who doesn’t want PP1, right?)
This is actually sounding quite promising. I didn’t know the long paths was getting addressed now.
If they can just fix the network speed (maybe delay balancing until transfers are complete) and also see off the dreaded “network name no-longer available” problem, then maybe it’s time to go back to recommending this thing to friends and family.
OAS, why would you NOT want PP1?!
I just downloaded the PP1 .doc file to one of my shared WHS folders and the file name is too long causing the WHS to freak out…
I must say I am underwhelmed that they would send out a WHS update file that is incompatible with WHS. The WHS finally fixed its status indicator after I removed the file.
I read the doc on a client machine and must say that even though I signed up for beta testing, I don’t have a pile of computers laying around that I can strip to ‘bare metal’ as they suggest be done.
I also don’t have a resource to fully backup my WHS – or know how if I did. I have parts of it here and there, but don’t have a 1.5TB external disk laying around empty…
Oh, I want PP1, all right! But if someone doesn’t, shouldn’t they be able to get the bug fixes separately? Just saying …
DaHoServer Says:
“I just downloaded the PP1 .doc file to one of my shared WHS folders and the file name is too long causing the WHS to freak out…”
Microsoft FREAKS OUT Windows Home Server! Another WoW, gee how nice that is to experience.
Not surprising at all, being how Microsoft’s own internal quality bar did such a good job the first time, that we now get to check their work a second time in this PP1 Beta version!
Is it any wonder why Microsoft completely missed the data corruption glitch, defect, flaw or whatever sort they want to call it?
I really have have my doubts about how Microsoft will finally fix their own design failure. Must we even bother to test it for them a second time as beta testers again, right?
It’s getting too old doing Microsoft’s work, when they didn’t even listen to us the first time, way back in April 3, 2007!
How disappoint all this is turning out, when Microsoft needed to regain back the confidence of their customers!
Microsoft talks about their high standards, their internal quality bar, their 100,000 beta testers, and look were we are today, still waiting for WHS to be fixed, on YET another no less BETA product that they could event manage to insure even a simple task of their own Microsoft Word document download.
Has the fat lady sung? Are we there yet? What does it take?
What else is going to happen next? Holding my breathe on second thought why even bother, just assume another Microsoft mess right!
So does this qualify as Microsoft malware, being how it’s delivered by Microsoft and it crashes my WHS?
Oh’ I’m sure we only need to get another patch for the 256 deep path, and another for when receiving another patch the PP1 as well.
Just when will WHS be working as I paid real money, and nowhere advertised did it state all these things we just part of the overall experiences of being a WHS customer!
Perhaps, that’s what Microsoft never speaks about, customers? Were just end users of their product, beta testers and consumers, just anything but their income.
If PP1 doesn’t deliver the goods, no need to pretend more, I’ll be taking back my WHS for a full REFUND!
“So does this qualify as Microsoft malware, being how it’s delivered by Microsoft and it crashes my WHS?
Oh’ I’m sure we only need to get another patch for the 256 deep path, and another for when receiving another patch the PP1 as well. ”
That’s all a bit melodramatic isn’t it?! The document doesn’t ‘crash’ your WHS, it just won’t save there yet.
Once you’ve read the documentation (not sure why people are saving it to a WHS to begin with) you’ll also notice that the paths problem is FIXED in PP1, so ‘another patch’ shouldn’t be necessary.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no MS apologist – I’ve been driven around the bend by my WHS, but this sort of hysterical post won’t exactly encourage them towards greater community involvement, will it?
danb said:
“That’s all a bit melodramatic isn’t it?! The document doesn’t ‘crash’ your WHS, it just won’t save there yet.
Once you’ve read the documentation (not sure why people are saving it to a WHS to begin with) you’ll also notice that the paths problem is FIXED in PP1, so ‘another patch’ shouldn’t be necessary.”
I agree and disagree with danb. I do think that all this pile’ing on to put down MS and WHS as being incompetent is bordering on irrational. I agree there have been serious problems in the past and are still being exposed, but I have faith that they will get them resolved. I have worked in software development for over 30 years and know MS has pride and is in it for the long haul. They will get it together after being embarrassed enough times, IMHO…
The documentation file, that is generic to the system, should reside on the server so danb is also being as melodramatic as he is blaming others of being. And, the fact that it is a WHS document and won’t go onto the WHS due to a bug they are aware of, is showing that someone up there at MS is still not keeping watch on what is going on.
I am a firm supporter of WHS, even with all its issues. That being said, this was the first negative issue I have personally experienced with it, so I guess I have been lucky in that area.
But, after the fun of ‘reading’ the PP1 beta release documentation, I think I will pass on participating until they have had more time to get this together. The beta, as described/requested in the doc, can only be done by someone that happens to have a lot of ‘extra’ hardware laying around that they can configure, load and purge at will – which is not my situation. All I have is production machines…